


Just Go With It

by starfishie



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-23
Updated: 2014-01-27
Packaged: 2018-01-09 19:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1149845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starfishie/pseuds/starfishie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase are trying to relax after the Second Titan War that left them exhausted when they receive a mysterious letter. What could it mean? They will soon find out. This story takes place after the Second Titan War and before the 73rd Hunger Games.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Percy

It was a warm, sunny afternoon that I couldn't think to spend any other way than with my amazing, beautiful, smart, fierce, scary, wonderful (I could go on all day) woman. My girlfriend, my Wise Girl: Annabeth Chase.

We were currently lounging in Central Park with a blanket spread out on the grass of a huge field. I had brought a picnic basket that I'd filled with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a couple of Cokes. When I'd revealed the sandwiches to Annabeth, she laughed at my inability to cook, but praised me on my attempt at a semi-romantic date.

We were chatting aimlessly about random stuff, just taking a little break from our hectic lives at camp. Thanks to my wish, kids were flying into the camp faster than wood-nymphs could run. All of the more experienced campers were trying to get the new campers settled into a normal routine, which was kind of hard to do when they were being taught by 'mythical' creatures.

I drew myself from my thoughts when Annabeth finished her lecture on 'the different architectural aspects of the Renaissance era.'

"I don't know why I ever bother to talk to you, Seaweed Brain." She said, commenting on my lack of attentiveness.

I said something really intelligent like, "Um, huh?"

She shook her head and chuckled. "What am I going to do with you?"

I gave her my best 'I'm innocent so don't beat the living crap out of me' smile.

She laughed and smiled right on back.

I took this chance and leaned in for a kiss. She met me halfway and our lips connected. There was nowhere in this universe I'd rather be. Kids laughed and played around us, birds sang in the trees, leaves rustled in the breeze, water splashed from a nearby fountain, and people were going about their lives as if we hadn't just fought a huge war, but I didn't care. I was here with my Wise Girl.

One of my hands was resting on Annabeth's waist and the other on her cheek. She had one of her hands tangled in my messy black hair and the other laying gently on my chest. Her blonde hair smelled of coconut and her lips tasted sweet, as if she'd just finished chewing gum.

When we couldn't breath anymore we broke apart and gasped for air.

I laid back on the blanket and Annabeth followed suit, curling up next to me.

The rest of the afternoon was spent pointing out different shapes in the clouds, staring into each other's eyes, and just plain relaxing. It may sound cheesy, but I personally enjoyed not doing anything productive all day. I wished right then that nothing would interrupt this amazing date, but, of course, I just had to jinx it.

It was getting late and the sun was setting, making the sky light up with the most beautiful purples, oranges (which kind of reminded me of Camp Half-Blood), and pinks. It cast a golden light on Annabeth's face, making her tan skin glow.

I abruptly stood up, but I had a smile plastered on my face so she wouldn't think anything was wrong.

"My i have this dance, Wise Girl?" I said, extending my hand to help her up.

"But there's no music, Seaweed Brain," she replied.

"Ah, come on! Does it look like I need music?"

"Why yes, yes it does."

"Oh, you're no fun." I pouted, my hand still reaching down.

"Fine! I'll dance with you," She reached for my hand.

Her hand was just inches away from mine before my hand started to glow.

Annabeth yanked her hand away, startled. If she thought she was shocked, think of how scared I felt. My hand just started to freaking glow.

But then, just as soon as it started, my hand turned off. Well, the glow turned off, not my hand. What was once empty air was now a white envelope with no markings on the outside.

I looked quizzically at Annabeth, silently asking what I should do.

"Well go on," she said. "Open it."

I tore through the envelope and took out a thick, white piece of parchment paper. On it were four words. It took me a while to figure out what they were because it was written in a fancy cursive font, but I finally made something out.

"Just... go... with... it?" I read.

That made absolutely no sense. I first saw that movie years ago, so what does it have to do with anything now? Annabeth seemed just as puzzled and I wondered if she'd seen that movie, too.

"Why would anyone want to tell us that?" She wondered. "Unless they knew we were going to be out in a situation that we have no idea what's going on and we just need to go with it..." She trailed off. "But that can't be right." She concluded.

"Hey, Annabeth?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know what's going on?"

"No. I-" She started.

I cut her her off by yelling, "Die!"

I burst out laughing which made Annabeth (along with pretty much everyone in a one hundred yard radius) look at me strangely.

I blushed, embarrassed. "I guess you haven't seen that movie?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Just- nevermind."

Annabeth shook her head at me in annoyance. "Okay, here's the plan. If anything strange happens and you have no idea what's going on-" I heard her mumble "like usual" under her breath "-go with it, just in case that's what the letter is saying."

I hid a smile. Athena always has a plan? I think yes!

I clapped my hands together once. "Well! Let's get back to this date, shall we?"

"We shall!" She replied and, since she had stood up when I received the letter, took my hand and put her other one on my shoulder. I clasped mine around her waist.

"I love you, Wise Girl," I whispered.

"Ditto, Seaweed Brain," she whispered back.

I was trying to think about where to put my feet so I wouldn't step on her toes when I saw her close her eyes and slump over. I barely had time to question it when I blacked out, too.


	2. Annabeth

I sat up in my bed and threw my legs over the side. I groggily stood up, then opened my eyes. I was shocked, to say the least. I noticed a couple of things.

First, I was not in my cabin at camp, or anywhere else at camp, for that matter. I was in a rundown shack-looking place that was pretty much all gray in color. The floor was gray, the drapes were gray, the bed sheets were gray, et cetera.

Second, I remembered what had happened last night: Percy and I were on a date, we got a letter, we were dancing (he was totally stepping on my feet), I passed out, and I woke up here.

I guess this is what the letter meant when it said to go with it, I thought.

And, third, where the heck was Percy? This seemed to be only a one-bedroom apartment and I doubt that he'd be sleeping on the kitchen floor. Then again, he has fallen asleep in some pretty strange places.

I walked out of the small room into a semi-larger one. In it was a dinky kitchen and a torn up chair facing a wooden loom. There was a rickety table in the corner of the room with a chair on either side. There was not a Percy in sight.

I looked down at my clothes and found that they where not what I had worn to the park. I had on a white blouse, a blue pencil skirt, and black shoes. In other words, it looked like I'd just walked out of an old-fashioned movie.

I opened up the gray front door and stepped outside. Let me just tell you that I wasn't very pleased with my new environment. My little gray 'house' was surrounded by neighboring little gray 'houses'. In the distance, a giant factory loomed overhead, white plumes billowed out of its smokestacks. Unlike Camp, this place had absolutely no wildlife/plants whatsoever. I felt so claustrophobic here, being without nature.

People bustled about, but they were all going in one direction. A girl that looked about my age with brown hair neatly combed into a bun came up to me and grabbed my hand.

"Come on!" She yelled, pulling me along. "We don't want to be late for the reaping!"

Reaping? What reaping? Who's getting reaped? My thoughts flashed back to the Great Prophecy. I tried not to focus on that too much, especially for Percy's sake. Wait a minute, these are my thoughts and Percy's not even here. Percy! Would Percy be there? Where is he? Ugh! I hate not knowing things! And ADHD.

My 'friend' pulled me up to a table that had a woman seated on the other side.

"Name and age," the woman said.

The girl that had pulled me along gave her finger to the lady and announced that she was Cathandra Hawkins, age 16. The lady pricked her finger and pressed it to a sheet of paper.

Copying Cathandra, I held out my finger. "Annabeth Chase, age 16."

Cathandra had waited for me and was now leading the way to a roped off area.

Now I could get a good glimpse at where everyone was going.

There was a huge building, front and center, that said 'Hall of Justice' across the top. There was a stage-like thing protruding from it. On the stage were four chairs, two large, translucent glass bowls filled with tons of slips of paper, and a podium. Cameras were positioned on the roofs of some of the building around us. People in white uniforms were strategically placed so that it'd be hard to try and get out of the roped off areas.

Sitting in one chair was a short, pudgy man with about two hairs on his head wearing a blue suit. The other chair was occupied by a really slender woman with thigh-length, bright orange hair (that she somehow managed not to sit on), a pink, knee-length hoop skirt, a pink flower-printed jacket, and the tallest pink stilettos I've ever seen. Her eye makeup was crazily overdone and her lips where a dark purple color. The whole ensemble kind of reminded me of the sunset.

Next to the oddly dressed lady sat an older man with white hair and a woman who appeared to be in her 30's.

In front of the stage, there were roped off sections were kids were standing. Older people lined the perimeter. I assumed they were parents.

Cathandra led me over to the third roped off section from the front. Standing there were a bunch of other kids that looked to be about sixteen. They gave Cathandra and I a sad look and turned to face the stage.

Cathandra gave me a big hug which I returned out of the sake of being nice.

"Best of luck, Annabeth!" She said.

"You too," I returned.

I had no idea who this girl was or what I needed luck for, but I just played along. It was probably just the Mist messing with her memories.

A loud bong echoed through the place. Then another. I realized they were the chimes of a clock. I counted twelve bongs before it stopped. It was noon.

My only thought as the pudgy man made his way to the podium was, Man, did I sleep late!

The pudgy guy, who I now realized was the mayor, started to talk.

He went on about the history of a place called Panem which apparently rose out of the ashes of North America. So, I was basically stuck in the future. Weird. He then listed a bunch of boring information that I paid no attention to, but when I heard the word 'war', I perked up a little. He said that because of this war, Panem was formed. This place consisted of a capital surrounded by thirteen districts (which would probably classify as states). Then there was an uprising against the Capitol (for what reason, I didn't know). Twelve districts were defeated and the thirteenth was destroyed. There was a treaty, blah blah blah. In punishment for the uprising, the Capitol holds the annual Hunger Games.

Apparently a boy an a girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen from each district are picked to fight to the death in an arena for the Capitol's enjoyment-I mean, so we don't start an uprising again. That's so inhumane! Who do they think they are! I had a little mini-rant in my head about this obscurity.

"And now for the past victors of District 8," the mayor said.

District 8. That must be where I am now. I wonder what state I would be in if this were the United States.

The mayor gestured to the older man sitting next to the weird looking lady. "Woof and..." He gestured to the other lady, "Cecelia!"

He turned back to the podium and announced that the weird lady was Lavenia Petch and that she would be this year's escort. Lavenia seemed very ecstatic that two of us would be fighting each other to the death.

Now that she has stood up, I could see that she was extremely tall. That may just be the stilettos, but I wasn't so sure.

"Happy Hunger Games!" She proclaimed in a British accent. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

"Now," she said." Ladies first!"

She moved over to one of the big glass bowls and stuck her hand in. I wondered if my name was in there.

Lavenia ruffled the papers around for a bit, just to make us suffer from all of the suspense.

Finally, she pulled one out and walked back to the podium. I didn't see how she could ever walk in those monstrosities she calls shoes, but she managed.

She unfolded the little slip of paper and took a deep breath in. The people in the square did as well. It got so quiet that I was pretty sure you could hear my heart beating from a mile away.

At last, Lavenia read the name on the paper.

It was me, Annabeth Chase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, if you have any fantastic, out-of-the-box names for other tributes, outfits for Percy and Annabeth for the parade or interview, and/or ideas for the arena, it'd be brilliant if you'd leave them in a comment. Thanks!


	3. Percy

In my dream, it looked like I was watching TV, or at least a talk show of some sort because there were two guys sitting at a gray desk, like they were news anchors.

The guy on the right had on a black suit and had tall blue hair pulled back into a bun. The one on the left wore a weird, black and white-patterned suit and had really curly, poofy blonde hair that was parted down the middle.

"Ah, the boy from District 4. What was his name again?" Said the blue-haired dude.

"Perseus Jackson," replied the blonde dude. "Mm, yes. His reaping was quite comical, wasn't it?"

Reaping? I got reaped? By who? The prophecy was already complete and it wasn't my soul that was reaped! And why was it comical? I tried not to freak out, but it was kind of hard.

"Yes, yes it was." The blonde dude said with a laugh. "It was probably one of the most memorable reapings I've ever seen."

"Now we'll just have to wait and see if he'll be just as clueless in the arena."

Arena? What arena? Did I make the basketball team? I didn't even try out for basketball! And what did that have to do with being reaped?

Then, the scene cut to a shot of me standing among a bunch of teenagers I didn't recognize that were wearing 1950's clothing.

I raised my hand slowly, as if I wasn't sure I wanted to follow through with the choice or I didn't really know what to do. "I, uh, volunteer?" I called hesitantly.

What? What in the world did that have to do with being reaped? Ugh, this is really confusing me.

Suddenly I woke up. It wasn't the usual jolt after a nightmare, but more of a calm awakening. I have no idea why, but me being reaped was definitely not on my list of top ten most pleasant dreams.

I sat up and surveyed my surroundings. Straight out in front of me, glittering blue-green waves lapped the shore of the powdery-white, sandy beach that I was laying on. To my left, the beach looked like it went on forever. On my right, there was a huge port crowded with fishing boats. It reminded me of the time I went on vacation to Florida's amazing east coast with my mom. Overhead, the sun was shining and the clouds, if any, were little wisps.

Standing, I brushed off the sand that clung to my clothes and hair. I turned my back to the sea and walked up the beach toward a little pathway in between a clump of sea grapes **.**

Once I emerged on the other side, I came face-to-face with a giggly teenage girl with sun-bleached blonde hair and hazel eyes, and a guy about my age with light brown hair and emerald green eyes probably a shade or two darker than my own.

"There you are Percy!" The guy exclaimed. He had a pretty deep voice and it was very smooth. I could almost hear the Aphrodite girls swooning.

"Yeah, we thought we lost you!" I turned my attention to the bubbly, blonde girl causing her to blush and giggle. Did the Stoll brothers draw a Harry Potter scar and glasses on my face again? Did I forget to put pants on today?

"Dude, come on! Don't want to be late for the reaping! Jayce will have all our heads!" The guy said and started pulling the girl along. And there that word was again: reaping. Why wouldn't they want to be late for that?

Blondie (I decided to call her Blondie until I found out her name) chuckled, "Jeez, Damon, I'm coming!"

"You better be, Nyla!" The guy teased with a smirk on his face.

So Blondie was Nyla and the dude was Damon. Good to know.

I raced after them, taking in my surroundings as I went. I appeared to be in some sort of fishing town because, as we raced along the coast, I could see fishing boats of all kinds- long liners, trawlers, you name it. The buildings were pretty clean and orderly and the houses, all with many windows opened to let the sunlight in, seemed like your typical beach cottage just a little less extravagant.

Finally, we made it to what I presumed was the town center. The center was in the shape of a square with a huge building front-and-center with the words 'Hall of Justice' across the top. Shops jutted out from the side of the Hall of Justice like arms spread as if they wanted to give us all a hug. Attached to the Hall of Justice, there was a large stage. On it were four chairs, two huge glass bowls filled with confetti, and a podium (which just made me think of boring school lectures). In front of the stage was a grid of roped off sections where hundreds of kids were standing. Some guys in storm trooper costumes were standing around random places. They were some pretty sad costumes. I mean, they didn't even look like storm troopers!

Anyway, Damon and Nyla pulled me over to a table with a lady behind it. They each said their name and age and got their finger pricked. I followed their lead.

Nyla parted ways with us at the third roped off area from the front and went to stand with some other girls. Damon led me to the guys section.

As soon as I stepped across the rope, the clock chimed. Ten annoying tolls later, this dude walked up on stage. He rambled on for a while about some extremely boring information about his place called Panem yada, yada, yada. I picked up a bit of valuable information, though. This was not a real reaping. Thank goodness! That's about it for the stuff I learned. I was right about the boring lectures.

He (thankfully) went to go sit in one of the chairs, but his presence was replaced by the creepiest guy I've ever seen. Ever. And that's saying something.

This guy had spiky vibrant blue hair that was at least a foot tall with sparkles sprinkled throughout. His eyes were, legit, white except for the pupil. He wore a dark purple suit that covered most of his skin, but I could still see little silver tattoos peeking out on his hands and neck. He wore makeup, which I thought was odd enough, but add to that eyebrows that curled up off of his face. They kind of reminded me of Hook's mustache in the movie Hook. He was kind of short, but that was probably a good thing seeing as if he was taller, he wouldn't be able to go through any doors without ducking because his hair is so tall.

"Happy Hunger Games!" He announced in a totally high-pitched voice that didn't go with his outfit at all. "And may the odds be ever in your favor."

"As always," he continued, "ladies first." He went over to the huge glass bowl on the right and I realized that instead of confetti, there were hundreds of little slips of paper inside. Dang it. I could really go for a party right now.

He snatched up a paper and unfolded it. "Hardie Lickprivick."

A girl that looked probably fourteen was escorted by storm troopers to the stage.

"Would anyone like to volunteer?" The weird dude (I'm going to call him Spike) asked. Volunteers? I thought back to my dream. Did that mean now? Eh, what the heck?

I raised my hand slowly and said uncertainly, "I, uh, volunteer?"

Spike looked surprise, but it melted off of his face in an instant and was replaced by humor. What was so funny? There were a few chuckles around the square, but a lot of people just looked really dismal.

Spike decided to rephrase his question, "Would any  _girl_  like to volunteer?" I could feel my ears burning up as realization dawned on me. Nyla was shaking her head at me.

"No one?" Spike wondered. "Then now will be the young gentlemen's turn."

He sauntered over the the glass bowl on the left and stuck his hand in it. He swished the papers around for a while, trying to draw out the suspense. After what seemed like hours, but was probably only a minute or so, he grabbed a paper and unfolded it, reading the name aloud.

**Author's Note:**

> There was a quick reference to the movie "Just Go With It" in here. Let me know if you caught it!
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! They mean the world to me!


End file.
